Mr. Collins.
Your article about the USA really opened my eyes to some
prophesies that were somewhat confusing. I have heard teaching that the
generation that sees Israel(Judah) become a nation will not pass away
before the Lord’s return. Can this be verified by scripture? I can’t
seem to find my notes.
In His Service, Joseph J. Garard
Your article about the USA really opened my eyes to some
prophesies that were somewhat confusing. I have heard teaching that the
generation that sees Israel(Judah) become a nation will not pass away
before the Lord’s return. Can this be verified by scripture? I can’t
seem to find my notes.
In His Service, Joseph J. Garard
MYREPLY
Mr. Garard,
The concept that you mentioned comes from combining Luke 21:31-32 and Zephaniah 2. Luke’s passage records Christ’s statement that when the things he had prophesied about in the earlier part of Luke 21 “come to pass” we should know that “the kingdom of God is nigh at hand,” and he adds that “this generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled.” Luke 21 echoes Matthew 24 in giving a series of prophesied events that will occur in the latter days. Jesus said that the “generation” which sees these signs begin to happen in world events will not “pass away”‘ (or die out) until all is fulfilled. However, many latter day prophecies can be found in other biblical prophecies so, by inference, Christ’s statement would encompass all the other signs of the latter days found in the other prophecies too.
Zephaniah 2:1-7 is the prophecy that states the Jews (Judah) will return to the Promised Land in the latter days (the time just before the Day of the Lord.” As you know, the modern Israeli nation was founded in 1948. People can disagree about the pertinent definition of what Christ meant by the word “generation,” but here is my viewpoint on it.
About 61 years have elapsed since 1948, and I see two possible applications. Christ must have meant that some people who were alive on earth when the latter days began will still be alive when Christ returns. But did he mean adults or mere babies in his definition of the word “this generation?” If he meant people of adult age in 1948 (whether you define that as age 20 or age 30 or something else), then we have to be getting rather close to the end of the age due to the limits of human longevity. If he included the children who were alive in 1948, then more time is possible.
I hope this answers your question.
Steve
